Our production of Shrek the Musical, JR, is planned for August 8 & 9 at 2 pm at the Altoona Area High School Auditorium.
Learn more about The Penguin Project by attending an information meeting! Our next meeting will be held on April 12 at 2 pm in the ACT Rehearsal Hall, located at 1213 12th Street, Downtown Altoona, PA.
Artists – Young People with Disabilities
The Penguin Project is open to any individual age 8 to 21 with developmental disabilities including Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism, intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, visual and hearing and other neurological disorders.
Peer Mentors
The Penguin Project utilizes a “peer mentor” system, linking each young artist with children the same age without disabilities who have volunteered to work side-by-side with them through rehearsals and through the final performance.
Adult Rehearsal Helpers
Are you looking for a meaningful way to give back, have fun, and be part of something truly heartwarming? We’re looking for kind, enthusiastic adults to help with rehearsal room management and snack distribution as our amazing young Artists and their Peer Mentors prepare for the stage. No theatre experience is needed—just a willingness to smile often, have your heart filled with joy, and witness something truly life-changing. Come find out how a couple of hours a week can brighten your life—and theirs.
Interested in learning more about the Penguin Project and how to participate in our next production? Let us know by sending an email to act@altoonacommunitytheatre.com
The Penguin Project® is a National Foundation with chapters throughout the United States, and Altoona Community Theatre is proud to bring the project to central Pennsylvania. The goal of the project is to provide a supportive environment for children with disabilities to explore their creative talents.
The Foundation was created in 2004 by Dr. Andrew Morgan, Professor Emeritus of Clinical Pediatrics at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria. Through his work, Dr. Morgan realized how children with special needs and their families often lack opportunities for community activities, sometimes making them feel isolated. Participation in the performing arts has specific therapeutic value in enhancing socialization, communication skills, and self-esteem, so he conceived the Penguin Project as a way for special needs children to be involved in an enriching social and creative outlet where their needs can be accommodated.
Goals of The Penguin Project®
- To provide an opportunity for children with special needs to develop creative skills related to the theater arts
- To provide an opportunity for children with special needs to participate in a community theater experience
- To facilitate interaction between children with special needs and their age-level peers through joint participation in a community theater experience
- To facilitate an appreciation of the challenges faced by children with special needs and their families
- To identify the impact of a community theater experience on the communication skills, socialization, and self-confidence of children with special needs
- To facilitate interaction among medical, developmental, educational, and theater professionals through participation in a common community project
- To provide a forum for support and interaction for families of children with special needs
Interested in volunteering or signing your child up as an Artist or Mentor?
Watch our previous productions!
The Penguin Project at Altoona Community Theatre’s production of The Lion King Jr was made possible by a partnership with the Altoona Area School District; as well as sponsorships and grants from Diane Osgood, the Groove Foundation, the Rotary Club of Altoona, the Zack Hinish Foundation, the Central Pennsylvania Community Foundation, Scissorhands Salon, the Altoona Area Kennel Association, Tobin & Hannah’s Lemonade Stand, Ray Kauffman Photography, the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Blair County, Charlotte Cooper, and individual donors like yourself. Please consider making a donation to help fund The Penguin Project at Altoona Community Theatre at the link below.
Interested in your business becoming a sponsor? Please call Tara Enedy in the ACT Administrative office at 814-943-4357.
Thank you to the over 970 audience members who came to support our third Penguin Project production in October of 2025!
You can see the kids shine by watching the recording of their performance above.
The Penguin Project at Altoona Community Theatre’s production of Aladdin Jr was made possible by a partnership with the Altoona Area School District; and grants from the Zack Hinish Foundation, UPMC Altoona, the Rotary Club of Altoona, Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Altoona, and the Central Pennsylvania Community Foundation; donations from Ambucs of Altoona, Scissorhands Salon and individual donors like yourself. Please consider making a donation to help fund The Penguin Project at Altoona Community Theatre at the link below.
Thank you to the over 800 audience members who came to support our second Penguin Project production in August of 2024!
You can see the kids shine by watching the recording of their performance above.
The Penguin Project at Altoona Community Theatre’s production of Annie Jr was made possible by a partnership with the Altoona Area School District; and grants from the T. Dean Lower & Jane Young Lower Trust, the Zack Hinish Foundation, UPMC Altoona; and individual donors like yourself.
Thank you to the over 550 audience members who came to support our first Penguin Project production in October of 2023! You can see the kids shine by watching the recording of their performance above.